Ground connection



Sept. 15, 1931. w. GoE-'rzELMAN GROUND CONNECTION Filed June 12, 192e Patented sept. 15, l1931 UNITE@ 'WILLIAM GOE'IZELMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TG APPLETON ELECTRIC, COHIANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS Y GROUND CONNECTION Y Application led June 12,

The ares-ent invention has for its object to produce a. simple and inexpensive device capable of forming a secure, electrically conductive connection between a. conductor and e, a pipe or the like of any size, within limits.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel holding and locking means for a detachable cover of ground outlet bos: or the like.

u) L The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages,

if) reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of aground outlet box, with a portion of the cover broken away, fastened to a pipe means of a device arranged in accordance with the piesent invention; F ig. Q is a central longitudinal section taken .at right angles to the plane of Fig. l: Fig. 3 is a section taken approifziniately on line 3 3 of 2, looking in the upward direction; Fig. et is a section on line #l-et of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a simple ground terminal embodying the presentinvention.

Iteferriiig to Figs. l to d of the drawings,

l represents a box open at tlie'ends. A long strap Q of a comparatively soft metal that lends itself readily to bending extends into one end of the box and is secured to the bot- :za tom of the box by a rivet 3. Overlying the inner end of the strap is a socket 4 having a fiat-tened stem 5 that rests on the strap and is held in place by means of .a screw 6 passing through the saine, through the strap, and through the bottom of the box. The conductor 7, to be grounded, enters the box from the end opposite 'that into which the strap extends and is fixed into the socket.

5 In order to ground the conductor to a pipe A or the like, the strap is bent around the pipe andthe free end brought in contact with the part of the strap adjacent to the box; the free end of the strap and that part of the no body portion of the strap against which it ieee. .serial No. 115,419.

lies being secured together in order to draw 'the loop tightly about the pipe.

In accordance with my invention I provide vthe strap with two rows of notches, 8 and 9 lying opposite each other in the two long fi edges of the stra-p. After the strap has been bentaround the pipe or the like, a pair of the notches in the free end of the strap are Vbrought into registration with a pair of strap and therefore, upon the tightening Vof the nuts, the strap is compelled to tighten itself about the pipe. y

Instead of a simple clevis I prefer to einploy a device made of two plates l()l and ll,

somewhat longer than the width of thev strap and each provided with two holes spaced to correspond to the spa-cingbetween opposed notches on the strap; together with two screws 12 that will pass loosely through the holes in one of thel plates and engage with vscrew threads in the holes in the other plate.

After the strap has been bent around the pipe, the two plates are laid across opposite ends of the loop thus formed, preferably at a point where the two parts of the strap are out of contact with each other. The screws are then inserted, passing through the upper plate and the registering notches in the opposedv strap sections, and through the lower plate. Then, upon turning the screws in a direction to 'tighten them, the straps are drawn toward each other and finally forni a clamp between which two engaged portions of the strap .are tightly held.

. The plates l() and 1l are preferably made concave, taking the form of shallow troughs that may `,be nested within each other. Therefore, when the plates are placed in position on the strap, with their concave sides facing inthe same direction, they will forni a crimp in the double strap, thereby assisting the bolts in holding the clamping device against slipping in the direction of the length of the strap.

The box is provided with a detachable cover 13, and one feature of my invention has to do with the fastening of this cover to the box. The cover is made to rest on the top edge of the box and has near one end a pair of lugs 14 formed by pressing the metal down; these lugs being so located and so spaced apart that they will lit against the inner faces of the side walls of the box. On the underside of the cover, near the middle, is a transverse inverted channel member 15 shorter than the width of the interior of the box. lVithin this channel lies a locking plate 16 that projects at its ends beyond the ends of the channel. A screw 17 extends through the cover and web of the channel and through the locking plate, being in screw threaded relation with the latter. The sides of the box, near the top, are pressed inwardly,

cation.

WILLIAM GOETZELMAN.

at opposed points, to form lugs 18. The

locking plate 16 is long enough, and the legs on the sides of the box are so located, that when the cover is slid endwise on the box the ends of the locking plate will underlie the lugs when the cover comes to rest in its closing position thereupon. By tightening the screw 17, the locking plate will be drawn up into contact with the legs 18 and the cover will be firmly locked in place. In order to remove the cover it is only necessary to loosen the screw, whereupon the cover may be slid o.

Instead of attaching my improved strap device to a box, it may be fastened to a simple terminal such as indicated at 2O in Fig. 5.

TWhile I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred l ferm of my invention, with a single modification, I do not desire to-be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for fastening a member to a pipe or bar, comprising a strap of bendable metal adapted to be wrapped about the pipe cr bar, said strap having in one long edge a series of notches, and a clevis device adapted to embrace two overlying sections of the strap when so wrapped and extend into the notch in each section.

2. A device for connecting a member to a pipe or bar, comprising a strap of bendable metal adapted to be Wrapped about the pipe or bar, said strap having a series of notches in each long edge, each notch being directly opposite a notch in the opposite edge, and a clamping device adapted to fit around two overlying portions of said strap and having a part adapted to enter two registering notches in such portions. 

